fromCreators:Black Americans, as a group, have made the greatest gains, over some of the highest hurdles, in a shorter span of time than any other racial group in mankind's history. But what about now?Political Correctness and Other Nitwittery

fromCreators:The loss of liberty rarely comes about overnight or in one stroke. In a democracy, that loss is normally a slow process, often pushed along by well-intentioned folks who do not even realize until it is too late.Politics and Other Official Acts of Corruption

fromConsortiumNews:NBC News’ hiring of former CIA Director John Brennan is the latest in a wave of intelligence community stalwarts being given jobs in the media, raising concerns over conflicts of interests.Indoctrination and Censorship

by Daniel J. Mitchell. Another budget deal good for Washington and bad for America. Advocates of smaller government are justifiably upset by the pork-filled spending bill enacted in December. With goodies for countless special interests, it was more "ominous" than "omnibus." But that wasn't the biggest fiscal hit Congress inflicted on America in ... MORE

The bureaucratic pension burden. For those who wonder about the practical importance of transparency, I
offer as evidence the latest result of a modest rule change in
California from a mind-numbingly named organization—the Governmental Accounting Standards Board,
or GASB (pronounced Gaz-bee). The group's stated goal is to promote ... MORE

Politicians indulge themselves at taxpayer expense. One way to understand the massive federal spending package is as a compromise between Republicans and Democrats to ignore the deficit. The deal is made of two different elements—a 2,009-page omnibus that folds in 12 appropriations bills and calls for $1.1 trillion in spending, ... MORE

By Pete Kasperowicz.Spending frenzy after debt ceiling suspension. The national debt has surged more than half a trillion dollars in the last three weeks, as the suspension of the debt ceiling in late October has allowed the government to borrow as much as it wants. Before the debt ceiling was suspended, the national debt stood at $18.15 ... MORE

by Nick Timiraos.Cowards kicking the can. Congress ended an 11th-hour showdown when the Senate passed a bill Friday that raises the debt ceiling for the last time during Barack Obama’s presidency. Many policy makers wish it could be the last such standoff in a long-running drama over the nation’s borrowing limit. The
brinkmanship has grown so ... MORE

by David Harsanyi. Grass-roots conservatives have many unrealistic expectations and political objectives. And then sometimes they have a good point. The new budget deal arranged by John Boehner and Democrats— approving
$50 billion of additional spending in 2016 and $30 billion in 2017—will
be split between domestic discretionary ... MORE

The real thing is too much to ask for. In America, you can't legally bet on political outcomes (at least not yet). But if you could, we'd advise you to put some money on the government shutting down on Oct. 1. As Congress gets back to work this week, it's facing a nearly unprecedented number of deadlines and political dramas. The government needs ... MORE

by Clare Foran.Amending the Constitution is no easy feat. But long odds haven't stopped Democrats and Republicans alike from calling for change on the campaign trail. There have only been 27 amendments to the legendary legal document since the Founding Fathers—quite literally—put pen to paper. And that's with good reason: Even the most ... MORE

State-Based Accounting 101: ranking fiscal condition. One of the most boring classes I took in college was on accounting. Over the years, however, I've come to understand the importance of proper and transparent accounting. As the disastrous examples of Greece, Puerto Rico, Detroit, and Chicago demonstrate, dodging long-term ... MORE

The pace of unsustainable spending is quickening. Let’s say you were a financial adviser, and a family came to you with the following situation. They make the median family income in the United States — $52,000. But last year they spent $61,000. That’s right, $9,000 more than they’re making, and it all went on the family credit card. ... MORE

by Donald Lambro. The candidate who wins the presidency in 2016 will be the one who vows to wage all-out war on a bloated, inefficient, corrupt government in need of a top-to-bottom, budget-cutting revolution. Next to an underperforming economy, the problem that concerns most Americans is the government’s $18 trillion debt, fueled by six ... MORE

by Andrew Taylor. President Barack Obama’s budget is relying on a series of familiar accounting tricks to show $1.8 trillion in deficit reduction over a decade, an amount that would shrink by almost half if they were excluded. But so-called “pay-go” rules officially require tax cuts and new spending on the mandatory side of the ledger to be balanced by ... MORE